Nutanix introduces Cloud Native AOS and brings its data platform to Kubernetes environments in the cloud and on bare-metal infrastructure.
At its .Next conference in Washington D.C., Nutanix expands its data platform with Cloud Native AOS. This is a solution that makes enterprise data services available for Kubernetes environments in the cloud and on bare-metal infrastructure, without requiring a hypervisor. In essence, Nutanix is further extending its Acropolis Operating System so that the platform supports cloud-native infrastructure and bare metal servers beyond on-premises HCI environments.
“The complete data stack is now available, both on-premises and in the cloud,” says CEO Rajiv Ramaswami. “This gives you complete portability. You can build a container on-premises and then launch it in the cloud, wherever you want.” The solution works the same as on-prem.
The complete data stack is now available, both on-premises and in the cloud
Rajiv Ramaswami, CEO Nutanix
Simplicity and Mobility
With this solution, Nutanix targets organizations that want to simplify and manage their Kubernetes environments without an additional virtualization layer. The solution allows users to move container applications between different locations such as availability zones, but also enables back-migration to on-premises infrastructure. Cloud Native AOS further supports built-in disaster recovery between regions, clouds, and on-premises installations.
Cloud Native AOS integrates storage and data services directly into the Kubernetes environment. The solution transcends the infrastructure level, taking the form of a Platform as a Service. This was not straightforward: “The higher you are on the stack, the harder it is to offer different options,” explains Induprakas Keri, SVP Engineering for NCI and GM for NC2. “Fortunately, we had already developed a suitable storage stack.”
Project Beacon
The announcement fits perfectly within Nutanix’s strategy. The company aims to give customers the ability to run workloads where they want and move them when they want. A unified software layer is essential for this.
Nutanix announced the ambition at .Next in 2023 with Project Beacon, and took an important step in 2024 with Nutanix NKP. “NKP is completely open source-compliant and works with native Kubernetes services in the cloud, but to truly run applications anywhere, you need an ecosystem with app-centric storage,” says Ramaswami. “That’s why we made AOS cloud native.”
Availability
Nutanix Cloud Native AOS will soon be available in early access. The solution will be generally available this summer. The focus, however, is on AWS. Information about availability on other cloud infrastructures is not yet available.